First reading: Wis. 3:1–9

The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace. For if before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality; chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; they shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord shall be their King forever. Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect.

Second reading: Rom. 6:3–9

Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. For a dead person has been absolved from sin. If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him.

Gospel: Mt. 25:31–46

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ 

Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’

Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

In other words

by Fr. Dionisio Miranda, SVD (Divine Word School of Theology, Tagaytay City)

Kagandahang-loob equals what philosophers call benevolence and illuminates the theological notion of charity; it is one of the virtues idealized by Filipino culture and incarnated in some of our social norms. It is a pleasant surprise to be invited with “Kain po tayo” (come, let’s eat) should you chance upon strangers having a meal in public. Family members will not hesitate to offer their own bedrooms to guests while they seek temporary accommodation elsewhere. In times of disaster many readily ransack their closets and pantries to share with the victims of earthquake, flood, storms and fires. Because some of these are already part of cultural practice, we do not need formal instruction on what Christian tradition calls the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

And yet the Directory for Catechesis (2020) reminds us that the native moral conscience still needs Christian formation; believers must till be educated to the good life of the Gospel. The socio-cultural value and norm of pakiki-pagkapwa (regard for others), for example, still needs to be infused with a Christian inspiration. Indeed, some philanthropy and certain social welfare institutions owe their inspiration and organization to saints who embraced certain practices as their charism—the distinctive way they wanted to acknowledge Christ in the least of his brothers and sisters. Modern hospitals evolved from rudimentary care for the sick affected by epidemics or repulsive diseases like leprosy. The orphanage developed as a necessary service in communities ravaged by war and conflict. Some made it their mission to intercept rural women seeking work in the cities from becoming prey to traffickers, equipping them with occupational skills. Others devoted themselves to sheltering and rehabilitating erstwhile victims of trafficking in order to recover their dignity; still others provided convicts with a second chance at normal life. We find continuing responses today to needs like hospice care, shelter for the abandoned elderly, the mentally ill, recovering dependents; the list is endless. Today’s Gospel invites all those already engaged and even employed in those services to view these not merely as spontaneous responses of decent moral persons but as spiritual opportunities to meet Christ in each client, every patient, every fellow-human.

Over time many states adopted similar services as part of their political obligations to their constituencies or social contract with their community’s expectations. Some of these functions and organizations have become very extensive, effective and efficient, such that they have eclipsed their religious predecessors and secular peers. Not always, unfortunately; some have morphed into structures of corruption and exploitation, betraying their roots in charity.

Beyond the personal engagements of individuals and beyond even the structured forms of religious organizations, Christians clearly need a deeper interpretation of how they are to embody the corporal and spiritual works of mercy today. Some reflections.

First, there will always be need to continue reaching out to the poor, the sick, and the abandoned we often encounter who cannot find space within the charitable institutions of the secular world. We must heed the hint of Jesus that he would not always be with his apostles physically because they could always meet him as Good Samaritans: still waiting to be recognized in the least, the last and the lost.

Second, there is so much that the secular social welfare institutions could do, if they only were more motivated, effective, efficient or—put more bluntly—less politicized, less corrupt, less wasteful and so on. This is where those already embedded in such systems might find their role in the promotion of God’s rule on earth. For on a scale they can best appreciate, how much more hungry people can the Departments of Agriculture and related agencies feed? How much water can the Department of Environment and Natural Resources provide to those without clean or potable water? How many affordable shelters can the Housing Department make available? How many jails and prisons can be decongested with a truly functional Justice, Criminal and Penal System? How many can be healed with a reliable Department of Health?

Granted that all Christians have one common vocation, each has the responsibility to discover one’s proper role in God’s plan of salvation. Today’s challenge to Christians in public service may be this: Leave the charitable work to individuals and religious organizations. Focus instead on the philosophy, policies, structures, practices, and performance of your offices. Be the light of critical reason. Be the salt of enhancement. Be the yeast of scalability of the good. Seek Christ’s face where he is most hidden and offer him your kagandahang-loob.